


Sunflower Boys

by greeneyes_softsighs



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-25
Updated: 2015-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-17 04:26:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4652184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeneyes_softsighs/pseuds/greeneyes_softsighs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After he begrudgingly accepts a desperate invitation from Ai to attend a weekend mixer, Rin finds his world turned upside down by the sudden feelings that start to blossom for a certain green-eyed boy with an angelic smile.  Rinkoto.</p>
<p>My first fic in the Free! fandom, and of course it's got to be for a rarepair like Rinkoto!  Meant to be lighthearted, sweet and fluffy, with a tiny drop of angst, this fic (loosely) runs parallel to the events of Free! Eternal Summer.  Also, I love smut so there will probably be some later.  </p>
<p>Tags, pairings and warnings will be updated as chapters are posted. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Invitation

When Rin sees the sunflowers in the florist’s window he stops short and backpedals a few feet to get a better look. They are radiant, gorgeous things with a burst of bright yellow petals surrounding a broad, dark center of seeds. Each sunny, golden face rests on a tall green stalk and seems to peer out the window, beckoning to Rin and his inner romantic. They strike him as familiar -- somehow resembling something, or maybe someone, but he can’t quite pin down the thought before Momo and Ai crowd against him and lead him down the sidewalk toward the bookstore they are visiting.

“Okay, okay,” he grumbles as Momo squeals and runs immediately to the extensive manga selection while Ai hangs back with him. “Let’s split up and get our stuff. We can meet by the exit.”

“But… Rin-sempai,” Ai replies meekly. “We came to hang with you!” Rin spares a glance in his direction, expecting to be hit with his kouhai’s patented puppy dog eyes. He isn’t disappointed, and has to look away quickly before his heart melts into a sympathetic blob. He clicks his tongue with a sigh, making sure to keep up the appearances of a sempai most put upon. In truth Ai was a sweet kid, however exuberant in his idolatry of the older, more experienced swimmers on their team, but his innocent hero-worship was starting to wear on Rin. Not to mention it was as embarrassing as ever. 

“Okay, well… just for a bit, I guess,” Rin mumbles, looking away while rubbing his neck sheepishly. It was so hard to keep up the appearance of a tough guy when he was constantly blind-sided by the misplaced adoration of his younger teammates. At least Momo had the decency to be an impudent little shit most of the time. He purposefully ignores the starry-eyed elation painted all over his younger friend’s face, and starts walking in the direction of the magazines without waiting for Ai to follow.

They browse quietly for a few minutes, but it’s clear by the way Ai fidgets and glances at Rin that he has something to say. He’s nervously shuffling through a periodical about weight-lifting when Rin finally drops his magazine. He looks up at the ceiling with a long-suffering sigh before turning to Ai, asking intensely, “What is it?”

“Um!” Ai juggles his magazine for a second, eyes wide, until it inevitably plops onto the floor. Rin ‘tsks’ quietly, pocketing his hands while Ai fumbles to pick it up. He scans the section, hoping no one else is there to witness the pitiful display.

“Spit it out,” Rin grumbles, only serving to further fluster the boy.

“Well, I was wondering, if you had any plans for this weekend?” Ai finally manages to stutter out the question, looking thoroughly embarrassed while holding the bodybuilding magazine against his chest. Rin’s face heats up as well, suddenly worried where this might be going exactly. He’s had his suspicions, but now…

“B-because I have a friend who is putting together a group date! And… well… you’re pretty popular with girls. He wanted to know if you’d come,” Ai explains, looking mortified. As the words settle, Rin relaxes a little bit, even allowing a soft chuckle to soften the blow of his impending, almost immediate --

“Yeah… no,” he replies, scoffing. Ai’s hopeful smile falls flat, replaced instead by a pleading expression. It’s clear already that Rin might not get out of this unscathed.

“Rin-sempai, I really hate to be bothersome, but --” he claps his hands together, threading his fingers as he bows his head in supplication. The magazine he’d been clutching so desperately crumples onto the floor at his feet. Rin grimaces, glancing around again only to notice that they have attracted a couple stares from other store patrons. “Please! Pretty please!”

“I said ‘No’!” Rin argues, hissing at Ai while yanking him away from the magazines and into a more secluded section of the store. Ai mewls like a kitten caught by its scruff, following obediently while continuing to beg.

“Please, sempai. This is the first mixer I’ve been invited to, and I… I might have already promised you would show up.”

“Oh, for the love of… Why?!” Rin hisses through pointed teeth, baring them in the hopes that Ai will become too flustered to argue anymore, and give up on his embarrassing crusade to get Rin to attend a group blind date. “Why not ask Mikoshiba instead?” 

The question is really a diversion tactic, meant to derail the main point of the conversation, but Ai’s only response is a look of unadulterated terror. He seems to think it was pretty obvious that inviting the excitable younger brother of their former captain would be a terrible, terrible idea. Rin can only agree, but he had to try _something_ , anything to avoid the inevitable.

“W-well, I think they only invited me because I know you from the club,” Ai admits quietly, his defeated tone tugging at Rin’s heartstrings a bit. The redhead sighs and slaps a hand over his eyes with a groan of frustration. Friendship was such a pain in the ass sometimes, it was hardly bearable. He drops his hands to his sides and slides them into his pockets, glance falling off to the side over Ai’s silvery head as he mulls over his decision with intermittent grumbles.

In the scope of things, this was probably just one night. He could last.

“Um, you can invite someone, too,” Ai adds in a last ditch effort. His lips pull into a shaky, tremulous smile of hope, and Rin’s resolve is finally worn down. Nitori is lucky he resembles a kicked kitten when sad, otherwise Rin probably wouldn’t have cracked so easily.

“Fine. I’ll go,” Rin concedes, adding a belabored sigh for effect. Nitori’s eyes widen, filling with tears almost instantly as he slowly registers the words of his sempai’s acceptance. Rin takes a cautious step back, worried the excitable, delicate boy would attempt a hug. Luckily, Ai only offers him a deep bow.

“Thank you so much, Rin-sempai! I promise not to trouble you anymore after this! I owe you!”

“Ah, Ai... it’s okay,” Rin mutters, trying to stop the other short of promising his life to the swim captain. Or maybe even his first born child. He smiles a little despite himself, glad to help out his kouhai -- even if the favor will only end up being a pain in his ass. Now that he had an answer from Rin, Ai finally excuses himself to go look at the manga along with Momo and leaves Rin to the blissful peace that is the sports magazine section -- his invitation to the mixer forgotten for the moment.

A couple other men are perusing titles, but otherwise Rin is not obligated to look at or speak to anyone. He immerses himself in the periodicals, taking note of other athletes’ training regimens and news on endorsements, gear and competitions. After a good twenty minutes, he tucks his choices under his arm and glances around for Momo and Ai. The two are nowhere in sight.

Annoyed, and always impatient, Rin heads toward the manga to look for them. Momo usually has his head shoved into the shounen section, and Ai’s tastes lay on the more… romantic side… if Rin remembered well enough of their time rooming together. A quick glance down Momo’s preferred aisle was all he needed to confirm the fiery redhead was missing. 

Moving on, the only other people he found down the long, seemingly neverending shoujo section were middle school girls still in their uniforms. They bunched together in clumps, which was unfortunate for Rin, because -- due to his diminutive size and slender build -- Ai blends right. The swim team has lost him once before on a trip when faced with a similar situation. After cementing a cool and aloof look onto his face, Rin wades through the clusters of girls with their heads pressed together over their books. He carefully ignores the soft giggles and sighs, trying not to feel like a pervert while searching for his teammate.

Again, Rin comes up short. He stops before the second section of shoujo, tugging out his phone to check his messages. There are a couple from Gou, unsurprisingly, and one from Nitori. Feeling like a dope for not checking sooner, Rin reads that his friends had left for the cafe on the second floor while he was looking at magazines. Typical. He turns down the next aisle of manga, on his way to the registers, and pauses when he spots an anomaly in the pattern of middle school girls.

If it was anyone else, Rin would have felt pressured to make up an idiotic excuse. He would be humiliated, having been found in the very heart of all the romantic garbage, had it been anyone else but Makoto Tachibana sitting in front of him -- occupying a tiny stool, tall form hunched sweetly over a book made to look small while simultaneously being so delicately cradled in his big hands.

Rin takes a moment to indulge himself with the adorable sight. Makoto was so wrapped up in the story, oblivious to his surroundings, that Rin could walk right up to his side without alerting the backstroker.

“Yo, Makoto,” he greets the other sharply, enjoying the soft ‘peep!’ Makoto eeks out while startled. His green eyes turn up to look at Rin in confusion for a moment before sliding shut for his patented angelic smile. Rin notices a couple groups of girls looking their way, starry-eyed and enthralled with the healing aura Makoto emanates when that smile is in place.

“Oh, Rin! I didn’t even see you there,” he says with a soft laugh, trying to discreetly close the manga he’s been reading while simultaneously hiding the cover. Rin ‘tsks,’ smirking down at his friend.

“You’re pretty deep into that book. What’re you reading?”

“Oh… well, I saw a classmate down this aisle… and, um, well… she suggested I read this...” Makoto stammers, turning the book over in his hands. Rin crouches beside him and takes it, laying his sports magazines aside, secretly reveling in Makoto’s nervous blushing as he turns to the cover page.

“Akagami no shirayukihime?” He asks, raising a brow while turning through the pages. The name sounds a little familiar.

“Um… y-yes,” Makoto laughs again to cover his embarrassment.

“Hmph… Wait a second. I think Gou watches this anime,” Rin says thoughtfully, snapping the book shut. Yes, he distinctly remembers Gou trying to draw connections between herself and the red-haired heroine in the story.

“Oh… yeah, that’s right,” Makoto answers sheepishly, going pink in the cheeks again. “Kou-chan invited me over last weekend to watch, actually.”

“Wha!” Rin laughs, “You really are too nice for your own good, Makoto. You shouldn’t let my sister bully you into watching that kind of thing.”

“It wasn’t like that, Rin,” Makoto chuckles softly, tilting his head before giving it a little shake. “Kou-chan wanted to hang out and we just ended up watching that anime. I liked it, anyway. And you might like it, too. It’s… um… romantic.”

“Oi. Watch it,” he mutters as Makoto gains the upperhand and it’s Rin’s turn to blush. Makoto’s giggles taper to a soft sigh.

“It’s good to see you, Rin,” he says, exuding the kind of warmth Rin has always known him to have -- that questionably, confusingly sweet aura that took everyone off guard. Thinking on it, it had been awhile since he actually just talked to Makoto like this. The previous year had been a particularly hard one. Even though Rin had acted a little stupidly -- no, wait, he really acted like a huge ass -- Makoto was able to talk to him as though Rin had never done or said anything to hurt him.

“You, too, Mako...” Rin stands, and Makoto follows suit, towering over the young girls. He hands Rin’s magazines to him with that ever present smile. As Rin takes them, an idea pops into his head and straight out of his mouth before he can even stop himself. “Are you busy this weekend?”

“Oh? Busy…? Well...” Makoto thinks on it, looking ridiculously adorable as he bows his head, closing his eyes to focus on his memory of any prior obligations. The taller boy taps his thumbnail against his lips as his brow furrows in concentration. Rin has half a mind to cuff him for just being so. Darn. Cute.

“Well, Ai just invited me to this mixer thing,” Rin says, before Makoto has a chance to answer and before any one of the girls in their vicinity has a spastic meltdown due to Makoto’s unadulterated winsome. Makoto looks up with a soft ‘oh.’

“A… a mixer?” He asks, blushing red. “You mean, like, a group date?”

“Uh, yeah,” Rin replies, sliding his hands into his pockets. They’re starting to sweat, probably from holding the magazines for so long. He’s suddenly embarrassed for asking Makoto to the mixer. “If you’re busy it’s not big deal...”

“No, um… I mean, I’ve only ever been to a couple of those things,” Makoto admits. “I’m not very good at them. I’m not very good with… ah… girls.”

Rin gives his friend a flat look as the other fidgets in front of him. If Makoto ever realized how charming he was, he would be a dangerous man. He had the handsome face, the stature, the build, the _charisma_... but none of the passion. He was a subdued and gentle boy, unassuming yet compelling when you got to know him. Again, Rin had the urge to give him a little smack upside the head. Just to jump start him and to let him know that he didn’t even have to try. Just that sweet little smile and those jade green eyes would have any girl Makoto wanted eating from his hand.

That is, if Haruka let them.

“Makoto, you don’t have to be good with the girls,” Rin says. “Just be my wing man for the night. It’ll be a lot better if I have someone I know there with me.” His words are slightly manipulative, because he knows Makoto would never turn down a friend for help. His green eyes search Rin’s for a moment, locking them in silent communication for just a second before Makoto slides into that easy, sweet smile of his.

“If you really want me there, Rin, I’ll be happy to come,” Makoto answers, missing the soft sigh of relief from Rin.


	2. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto shares his fears over what may happen at the mixer, Rin daydreams, and Sousuke is grumpy.
> 
> Short chapter with lots of banter.

**Tachibana Makoto [replied 19:20]:** i’m so nervous for this weekend!!! (◞‸◟；)  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 19:21]:** i don’t know if i will be any help to u.  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 19:21]:** i’ll probably spill something or knock over a lamp.

Rin chuckles, scrolling through the line of texts Makoto sent him while he was at practice and classes. They were talking more than usual now, psyching each other up for the inevitable trainwreck of the coming weekend, and Makoto had gotten into the silly habit of listing anything and everything that could go wrong -- much to Rin’s amusement. 

**me [replied 19:23]:** if u knock over a lamp, i’ll have to knock over one, too.  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 19:23]:** Why???!!  
**me [replied 19:24]:** if we both do it, they will have a hard time pinning it on someone.  
**me [replied 19:24]:** i won’t let you go down alone, mako. (・∧‐)ゞ

“Oi, what’s with the giggling?” Sousuke grumps, shifting to glare down at his friend from the top bunk. Rin lets his cell phone fall against his chest, offering Sousuke an unamused look for prying.

“I’m not giggling,” Rin disputes, earning him a swift pillow to the face.

“Okay, then why are you _chortling_?” Sousuke snorts, smirking at his best friend after Rin manages to lob the pillow turned projectile aside.

“I’m just talking to Makoto about this weekend,” Rin says, changing his mind about the pillow. He takes it for himself, tucking it under his head comfortably. It smells heavily of Sousuke’s aftershave and shampoo. 

“Oh,” Sousuke replies gruffly, turning back to his bunk. Rin can practically see the aura of jealousy and annoyance rolling off him in waves. With a sigh, he glances at his phone as it vibrates against his chest, then rolls out of bed. He stretches, kicking his desk chair until he has enough room to sit down. After a quick reply to Makoto, Rin pulls out some homework and starts to fill in answers to an English worksheet.

“Listen, I know you wouldn’t like that type of thing,” he says after a few minutes of silence. 

“Whatever,” Sousuke pouts. Rin turns to glare at him, getting a decent view of Sousuke’s broad back. The other is facing the wall, playing games on his phone by the looks of his posture.

“Don’t be such a goddamn baby!” Rin shouts.

“Fuck off!” Sousuke shouts back, turning to confront Rin. He falters, accidentally dropping his phone off the side of the bed as he rotates to his right side. “Aw, shit...”

Rin looks from the phone to his friend with a smug smirk. “Want me to get that for you, Princess?”

Sousuke returns his smugness with a half-hearted frown that dissipates into a sheepish smile. “Maybe...”

“Tch,” Rin sighs, stooping to pick up the cell phone. He walks over and hands it back to his friend, turning serious for a moment. “Are you really mad at me about this mixer thing? I honestly didn’t think you’d be interested. Makoto just happened to be there, and he’s kind of a sucker for helping people out, anyway...”

“Yeah, you already told me,” Sousuke grumbles, fidgeting with his phone like an ornery child. 

“Plus, I mean… you’re kind of scary, to be honest,” Rin smirks, tucking his hands into the pockets of his sweats. He falls back into the seat at his desk, picking up his phone and checking his texts from Makoto out of reflex. “You’d make all the girls wet themselves. And not in a good way.”

“Hardy har,” Sousuke replies dryly, though it is punctuated with a few actual chuckles. Rin smirks, congratulating himself for a job well done as Sousuke goes back to playing his game and the tension in the room slides away, leaving them in comfortable silence. Rin returns to his phone.

 **Tachibana Makoto [replied 19:25]:** rin! u shouldn’t break any lamps!! what if u set a girl on fire??  
**me [replied 19:32]:** Mako, ur fuckin hilarious. lol  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 19:34]:** i don’t see what’s so funny about that??

Rin snorts, covering his mouth to staunch his laughter. Of course Makoto would be the only person to worry seriously about setting someone on fire during a group date He’s about to reply to the latest text when his phone vibrates, interrupting him with a message from Haruka.

 **Nanase Haruka [replied 19:36]:** stop texting makoto.  
**Nanase Haruka [replied 19:36]:** he needs to study.

With a roll of his eyes, Rin snaps a picture of himself offering Haru a response in the form of a rude gesture, then goes back to his conversation with Makoto. He types out two messages quickly.

 **me [replied 19:38]:** Mama Haruka says u need to study.  
**me [replied 19:38]:** so i guess we’ll discuss how best to break lamps later?  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 19:40]:** Haru isn’t the boss of me…  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 19:40]:** but i really should focus on studying. lol i suck at english. (◞‸◟；)  
**me [replied 19:41]:** do ur best, mako. bye.

Rin shuts his phone and tosses it onto his bed before turning back to his homework. He smiles, surprised to find himself not entirely dreading the weekend anymore. With Makoto there, he might actually have a good time. If anything, maybe they’ll become closer again after sharing this traumatic experience. 

He was seriously craving those old friendships he’d lost after his move to Australia. Having Sousuke back, and finally working to patch things up with Haru and the others, really motivated Rin to search out what he’d missed everyday in Sydney. 

Even after he had moved to Australia, Rin received letters from Makoto. Eventually, inevitably, their arrival slowed to a trickle and finally stopped after Rin had neglected replying to them for almost a year. He’d really fucked it up, pushing Makoto -- and everyone, really -- far, far away. He’d taken Makoto’s kindness for granted and lost his friendship along the way. It would be nice to have it back. It would be nice to have _Makoto_ back. 

Unable to focus on his work, Rin falls into daydreams of what might happen that Saturday. First, he needs to plan his outfit. The gathering isn’t formal, but it will be at a pretty nice restaurant, so he would wear something fashionable yet sophisticated. His black jeans would do the trick, and a deep red v-neck t-shirt will really make the girls go ga-ga. With a smirk, he wonders if Makoto will dress in something dorky or if he’ll manage to pick out something that will accentuate his natural appeal. Either way, he’ll probably rake in the ladies like a man clearing out a pachinko parlor…

Hopefully they’ll be matched up with some worthwhile girls, though. The way Ai talked about it suggested that Rin would probably be the bait to lure them to the group date. As much as that annoyed him, Rin was curious to see who would come. And now with Makoto joining, there would be two illustrious swim captains attending the event.

Makoto will probably end up drawing most of the attention, now that RIn thought about it. The girls will fuss over his sweet demeanor and dote on him, falling easily for the gentle giant. Rin silently bets to himself that one of them will offer to feed Makoto a little bit of something sweet. The green-eyed boy will blush and stammer cutely, but ultimately he’ll accept the morsel, because everyone’s eyes will be on him.

With a sigh, Rin taps his pen against the desktop, feeling the invisible tug of his phone. He wants to ask Makoto if he’s picked out an outfit, but knows he’ll only get flack from _Mama_ Haruka if he bugs the other boy now.

“Oi, idiot,” Sousuke calls him from the top bunk. Rin turns slowly, making sure his face reflects just how uninterested he is in any kind of shit talk his friend has to offer at the moment.

“What.”

“Stop sighing so much,” the brooding athlete complains. 

“What’s it to you?” Rin shoots back with a grunt, turning away to hide the slight blush of embarrassment due to Sousuke’s observation. He was really getting into this weekend. Though, more likely than not, he felt it was some kind of self preservation mechanism. He had to remember that Nitori was attending as well, and that the rest of the guests would be people he had never met before -- not to mention they would all be younger. If he didn’t self actualize a good outcome, Rin knew he’d head into the mixer grumpy and stand-offish. It would be unfair to force Makoto into something while he was acting like a dick.

“Hm. Just saying, you seem to be thinking pretty hard about something that isn’t your homework,” Sousuke adds. “You haven’t written a thing for, like, thirty minutes.”

“Oh...” Rin drops his pen and rotates on his chair, straddling it while regarding his friend on the top bunk. “It’s easy shit, anyway. I can wrap it up tomorrow before class.”

“Hm,” Sousuke hums, raising his brows noncommittally. His teal eyes settle on Rin, gazing down at him with heavy-lidded skepticism. The swim captain fights back with his own fiery stare, meeting Sousuke’s eyes without batting a lash. They remain like that for a good minute, until they both break out in a cold sweat and their eyes start to water uncontrollably. Finally, Rin breaks down with a groan, rubbing his burning eyes.

“Augh! What?!” He spits, feeling the weight of Sousuke’s judgement.

“You’re excited about the date thing this weekend,” Sousuke says as fact. Rin grumbles something to the effect of ‘am not’ and folds his arms. “Yeah. You are. Don’t deny it.”

“I’m more excited about getting to hang out with Makoto, to be honest,” Rin finally admits. “It has nothing to do with the mixer.”

“This is that doofus who hangs around Nanase all the time, right?” Sousuke tilts his head back and scoffs disdainfully, rolling his eyes. He’s actually sitting up now, hunched against the wall beside the bunk with his arms folded across his chest loosely.

“He’s not a doofus,” Rin growls. “Watch it, Sou. He’s a good friend of mine.”

“If he hangs around with Nanase, he can’t be too right in the head,” Sousuke grumbles. “That guy’s a fuckin’ weirdo.”

“Seriously, shut the fuck up about my friends,” Rin snaps. He checks the time and stands, tugging on a light sweatshirt while grabbing his phone. “I’m going to get some fucking dinner. Kindly stop being a complete asshole when I get back, okay?”

“No promises,” Sousuke mutters, lying back in his bed with a smirk.

Rin slams their door shut and shuffles down to the cafeteria. He tugs his hair back into a pony while looking through the food selections, deep in thought about whether to get a rice dish or just grab a sandwich when Ai sidles up from behind.

“‘Evening, Rin-sempai!” He greets sweetly, sending Rin about a foot into the air in surprise. Still annoyed by Sousuke’s earlier comments, Rin twirls on the younger teammate with his sharp teeth bared. Ai reels back a bit, trying to remain composed in the face of his captain’s wrath. “O-oh, I’m sorry if I startled you, Rin-sempai. I was wondering if you had invited a friend to the party on Saturday?”

“Ugh… yeah,“ Rin grunts, brushing a loose piece of hair behind his ear before folding his arms across his chest. “I invited Makoto.”

“C-Captain Tachibana!” Ai gasps, cheeks turning curiously pinker. Rin narrows his eyes, studying Ai’s excitement over this news with (just a hint of) jealousy lurking beneath his scowl. Seems like Sousuke’s bad mood had rubbed off from earlier.

“Is that surprising or something?” Rin asked.

“Oh! Oh… um… _no_ ,” Ai laughs off his blush, waving his hands in the air to dispel the awkward atmosphere. “I just assumed you would invite Y-Yamazaki-sempai. I’m glad you invited Tachibana-san. He’s very kind.”

Rin smirks, noticing how Ai seems relieved to have Makoto joining instead of Sousuke. He raises a brow before asking, “You have a problem with Sousuke?”

“Wh--! No! Not at all!!” Ai struggles again, stammering as he tries to think of a way to recover. “Um, Yamazaki-san also seems very kind, but he’s -- um -- just very intimidating.” He stiffens as Rin starts to laugh, drawing some attention from other students in the cafeteria.

“That’s… that’s hilarious,” Rin chuckles, gasping for breath while wiping a tear from his eye. He pats Ai on the shoulder, smirking widely. “I’ll see you at practice tomorrow, Ai. Get some rest.”

Rin gathers his dinner, leaving Ai behind, a little shaken and confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is from Mako-chan's point of view! :)


	3. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto is anxious about the mixer. He goes to Nagisa for advice on how to talk to girls, and asks Haru for some tips on what to wear, but ends up realizing maybe his friends aren't the best sources of wisdom for his impending date night.
> 
> This chapter is a bit longer than the others and focuses on Makoto.

Makoto sits in the pool house with his towel draped over his head, hunched over his phone, tapping away at the keypad while giggling to himself. It’s close to the end of the day, and he is waiting for Haru to finish swimming before heading home.

 **Rinrin [replied 18:13]:** haru is going to turn into a prune one day.  
**Rinrin [replied 18:13]:** you’ll find him floating in the pool like a little poop. lol

The mental image of Haru shriveling up in the water like a prune sends Makoto into a fit of laughter. As soon as he calms down, he thinks about having to fish Haru-raisin out of the pool with the cleaning net and breaks down again. It takes him a little while to recover, blinking tears of mirth from his eyes in order to reply to Rin, still trembling with the aftershocks of his laughter.

 **me [replied 18:16]:** Rin! lol Amakata-chan-sensei will make him get out soon  
**me [replied 18:16]:** he seems agitated lately. swimming helps him calm down  
**Rinrin [replied 18:18]:** we should have another joint practice soon.  
**Rinrin [replied 18:18]:** a race with me will light a fire under his ass.  >:)

As Makoto obliviously types out his reply, a shadow with glinting red eyes slowly envelops him from behind.

 **me [replied 18:20]:** that’s a good idea. :) i’ll talk to Kou about it.

“Mako-chan, are you _flirting_ with someone?” Nagisa asks ominously, popping out from behind the swim captain with a look of mischief on his face. Makoto peeps in surprise, juggling his phone as it somersaults out of his sweaty grip over and over before finally clutching it to his chest. 

“Nagisa! It’s not nice to sneak up on people like that! Do you want to give me a heart attack?” Makoto wails, jumping up from the bench to scold his teammate while Nagisa doubles over in laughter. Makoto frowns at Nagisa’s trembling body. He continues to laugh for an inordinately long time, and just when Makoto thinks he’s died down, Nagisa’s guffaws only grow louder.

“Sorry, Mako-chan,” the blond sucks in a few breaths between giggles. He stands straight again, smiling at Makoto’s adorable expression of wounded annoyance. “You were just giggling so much, I assumed you had to be flirting with someone.”

“No… I was just texting Rin,” Makoto answers, pouting a little. Nagisa’s eyes widen slightly. “He was suggesting another joint practice with Samezuka soon.”

“Oh? Rin-chan, huh? That sounds fun!” Nagisa winks at Makoto. Then winks again. After the third time Makoto begins to worry.

“Why are you blinking at me?” Makoto asks, frowning. “Are you okay?”

“Mako- _chan_ ,” Nagisa sighs in frustration. “Nevermind. Are you excited for your big group date tomorrow?” After a beat, Makoto shakes off Nagisa’s strange behavior and sits down again. 

“I guess so,” Makoto replies with a gentle smile, thinking back to his run in with Rin at the bookstore. “Rin really wanted me to come, and it’ll be nice to hang out with him… but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to talk to all the girls.”

“Aw, Mako-chan, you’ll do fine,” Nagisa chirps happily, sitting next to his friend while throwing an arm around his broad shoulders. “Rin will probably do all the talking, anyway. Just be yourself and smile big. The rest happens naturally!”

“That’s easy for you to say, Nagisa,” Makoto chuckles, tilting his head to the side. “You’re so charismatic and funny. You always have something to talk abo-- ow!” Makoto rubs the back of his head where Nagisa just cuffed him and pouts in confusion. “What was _that_ for?”

“You were talking crazy, Mako-chan. That was to bring you back to your senses.”

“Huh?”

“The Mako-chan I know is easy to talk to and very kind,” Nagisa says. “He always knows just what to say when I’m down and, even if he isn’t trying, sometimes he’s very funny.”

“Nagisa...” Makoto demurs, blushing bashfully under the compliments. Even if that last one wasn’t exactly flattering. “I just want to make sure I don’t mess it up for Rin. He wants me to be his wingman.”

“You’ll do fine,” Nagisa says firmly. “Why don’t you practice a little in the mirror tonight? That might help.”

“In the mirror?” Makoto asks skeptically. Though the idea isn’t bad enough to write off right away he isn’t thrilled about it. 

“Fine, or -- oh!! -- Why don’t I help you right now? I have some time,” Nagisa jumps up excitedly. He glances around the room, immediately looking for props to help him get into character.

“Oh, that’s right… where’s Rei today? You’re not going home with him?” Makoto asks while Nagisa hunts for a proper wig. 

“He left way early, again,” Nagisa pouts. He walks back to Makoto with a mop head in his hands. “What do you think about this for a wig?”

“It’s kind of dirty...” Makoto comments. Nagisa hums his agreement and tosses it back over his shoulder. “It’s weird that Rei would leave early so many days this week, though. Is he okay?”

“Rei-chan needs space sometimes,” Nagisa shrugs. “If he continues to act weirder than usual, I’ll be forced to investigate! For now, I’m just letting him do his thing... 

“Anyway, looks like you’re just going to have to use your imagination, Mako-chan. Okay? Ready! Set! Roleplay!!” Nagisa sits up, widening his eyes and staring at Makoto with his lips pursed. The whole look is quite fish-like. The taller boy is slightly taken aback by the sudden, vacant-eyed stare Nagisa has thrown at him. He swallows and laughs nervously.

“Uh -- uhm,” Makoto flounders, “Nagisa, I don’t think this is going to work.”

“Nagisa, who’s _Nagisa_? Blub.” Nagisa says in a very, _very_ over-acted falsetto. Makoto can’t help but giggle, and relaxes somewhat.

“Sorry… um, Miss?” Another giggle. “My name is Tachibana Makoto. What’s yours?”

“You can -- blub -- call me… Saba… rina...” Nagisa replies, blinking his eyes owlishly, speaking through pursed lips. 

“S-Sabarina!” Makoto tries his hardest to hold in his laughter. He couldn’t help but think that Sabarina would be the be the perfect girl for Haru. “Wh-what a pretty name! You can call me Makoto, then!”

“Thank you, Makoto!” ‘Sabarina’ replies. “What kind of food are you going to order tonight?”

“Oh… well… my favorite is green curry,” Makoto says, then smiles sweetly as an idea pops into his head. “If you like green curry, too, maybe we can share! What are you ordering?”

“I’m getting... the mackerel. Blub,” ‘Sabarina’ says seriously, stopping Makoto cold. He stares down in horror at ‘Sabarina’s’ frigid, serious expression. Did she really intend to eat her own kind? What was she, some kind of cannibal? Before Makoto can think of something to say, Haru walks into the pool house and interrupts their roleplay. He looks between Nagisa and Makoto silently.

“Haru-chan!” Makoto sighs in relief, sagging under the weight of ‘Sabarina’s’ dark revelation. He stands up with his bag slung over one shoulder. “All done for today?”

“Ya,” Haru replies sedately. “But… drop the ‘chan.’” Nagisa chuckles and stretches as he stands, then heads to the door while Haruka towels dry and grabs his clothing.

“Welp, I’m gonna head home,” the blond says cheerfully, waving to them both while halfway out the door. “Good luck tomorrow, Makoto! Let me know how everything goes!”

“Thanks for your help, Nagisa!” Makoto calls after him. Though, really, was he any help at all? Makoto smiles to himself and waits while Haru pulls his uniform back on. The tall boy checks his phone to avoid Haru’s nakedness while he brazenly -- and a bit reluctantly -- whips off his wet jammers in favor of dry briefs.

 **Rinrin [18:21]:** great! also, just wondering, but what are u wearing tomorrow?  
**Rinrin [18:28]:** just curious….

Makoto thinks about it for a minute, then taps back his reply.

 **me [19:05]:** i haven’t thought about it yet. maybe my flannel shirt and jeans?  
**me [19:05]:** what about u?

“Makoto,” Haruka appears directly in front of his friend, startling the backstroker just as he sends the last text.

“Oh! Okay… jeez, Haru,” Makoto laughs softly, clutching his chest where his heart is fluttering. “Let’s go.”

They walk in companionable silence as usual, with little being said or needing to be said between them. Makoto can feel that Haru has been out of sorts since the Splash Fest at ITSC Returns, but thinking on what Nagisa said earlier, he’s decided to let Haru figure it out on his own. He glances over at his friend who, as usual, has a stony, indifferent expression masking his thoughts and feelings.

Makoto looks back ahead with a soft smile. He should really trust Haru more. They weren’t children anymore, and now that graduation was so close Makoto was beginning to realize that -- like it or not -- his and Haru’s paths may diverge. 

“Makoto,” Haru stops walking at the base of the steps leading to their homes.

“Yes, Haru?” Makoto asks sweetly.

“You’re going to that date thing tomorrow,” he says. “With Rin.”

“Um, yes,” Makoto laughs softly, cocking his head with a smile. “The group date.”

“That’s not something you need to worry about, okay? And don’t worry about me, either.” Haru instructs, brows creasing ever so slightly to reveal the burden of his own fears and worries. Makoto studies his best friend’s face, then nods.

“Okay. Thank you...” he squeezes the straps of his own backpack in lieu of a hug. Haru wasn’t particularly keen on unnecessary hugs. “Then the same goes for you, Haru-chan.”

“Hm… that’s impossible,” Haru turns his head away, only glancing at Makoto now.

“What! Hey, now...” Makoto giggles. “What do you have to worry about me for, anyway?”

“...”

“Oh, are you worried I’ll get a girlfriend at the mixer?” Makoto is only teasing, but the slight shift in Haru’s posture gives away the answer. Makoto blinks, then frowns, “Really?”

“No… Makoto can have as many girlfriends as he wants...” Haru replies, then starts walking up the stairs ahead of Makoto. The brunette sighs, smiling fondly at the back of his ornery best friend before following him up the steps.

“Well, in that case, can you help me pick out an outfit for tomorrow?”

“... I have to study,” Haru replies.

“Haru!” Makoto whines, stopping at the fork that leads to his doorstep. “You can play that new oceanography game I just got,” he says, resorting to bribery to get the help he needs. Haru pauses a few steps up, then turns and looks down at Makoto with a glint in his clear blue eyes.

“Fine.”

\--00--

Makoto has to admit that when he saw the oceanography game -- called “Fun Sea ♥ Friends Adventure” -- at the store, he immediately thought of it in terms of bargaining power when it came to Haru. The entire point of the game was simply to swim through the ocean and collect information on sea animals. Haru sits, glued to the screen, while Makoto shifts through the slim selection of cool clothing he owns.

“What do you think of this, Haru-chan?”

“Sh… you’ll scare the squid away,” Haru mutters cryptically, ignoring Makoto while the brunette shows off yet another attempted outfit. The only sound following his dismissal is the click of the controller’s buttons, punctuated by Makoto’s dejected sigh.

“You’re no help at all,” the brunette mutters to himself, turning back to the closet and the full-length mirror that hangs over the door. The floor of his room is a mess of discarded clothing, yet for some reason, it seems that the more things he tries on the more nervous about his choice he gets. Indecision wracks Makoto’s brain, and Rin still hasn’t replied to the question he had messaged earlier.

“Maybe… maybe a just t-shirt and pants will be okay,” Makoto muses, and as if in answer, his phone chimes happily. Haru pauses his search for giant squid while Makoto whirlwinds through the mess on his floor to find his phone.

“Hello!” He answers breathlessly, half-sprawled on the ground and covered in clothes. Haru settles back into his game.

_“Oi… hey, Makoto...”_

“Rin! Hi, how are you? Did you -- uhm -- get my text earlier?” Makoto asks, resting his head on his arm.

 _“Yeah,”_ Rin replies. _“Yeah. I’m actually trying to pick something out right now.”_

“Me, too,” Makoto laughs softly. “Haru’s over here helping me decide.”

_”Haru’s actually helping?”_

“Um...” Makoto hesitates, glancing back at Haru over his shoulder. He misses the sidelong look Haru gives him when he turns back around. “Yeah. Just having him here is a big help.”

 _“I’ll take that as Makoto speak for ‘No, he’s no help at all’,”_ Rin snorts. _“Well, I’m kinda in the same boat. Can I send you some pics and see what you think?”_

“Sure! I don’t know how well I can help, but you can send me some pictures. Maybe it will give me some ideas, too,” Makoto sits up, leaning against his bed next to Haruka. In the background of the call, he can hear the deep timbre of Yamazaki-san’s voice followed by a muffled, exasperated reply from Rin. Makoto chuckles, “Everything okay?”

_”Yeah. Sousuke’s just being an ass, as usual. I’ll send you a couple pictures in a second.”_

“Okay! Bye,” Makoto hangs up, smiling happily now that he was able to at least help Rin. He looks up when he notices the music from the oceanography game isn’t playing anymore. 

“I can help you now,” Haru says, looking at Makoto with determination. He glances down at the outfit Makoto had shown him previously, focusing on it intensely for a good minute. Makoto laughs, unnerved by the sudden scrutiny.

“It’s okay, Haru-chan. I’ll get some pointers from Rin. You can go back to playing your g--”

“I can help,” Haru interrupts him. Ignoring Makoto’s protests, he stands to look through the nearly empty closet. Seeing that he won’t be able to stop Haru now that he’s made up his mind, Makoto simply smiles and nods in defeat. He knew Haru was trying to be subtle, but it was pretty obvious that he wanted to outshine Rin in the fashion advice department. 

While Haru is searching, Makoto’s phone dings and Rin’s first picture arrives. Before Makoto can check it, Haru throws some clothing at him and knocks the phone out of his hand. 

“Haru!” Makoto whines.

“Try that on,” Haru says, standing with his arms folded expectantly. Makoto pouts, but does as he’s told, changing his shirt from the green button-down he’d been wearing to a black t-shirt with green and tan flannel thrown over. Just as he’s buttoning the flannel, Haru stops him. “No, leave it open.”

“Oh… okay,” Makoto smiles nervously while Haru squints at him purposefully. 

“Roll up the sleeves,” Haru orders. Again, Makoto does as he’s told. Haru nods in approval, then roots around on the floor for a different pair of pants. While he’s busy, Makoto finds his phone and opens the picture Rin sent him.

It’s not quite what Makoto was expecting. He covers his grin with a hand, amused by the photo obviously taken by Yamazaki-san. Rin is barely inside the frame, red eyes flashing, pointy teeth bared in anger while he reaches desperately for the phone. Somehow, Yamazaki-san’s foot made it into picture as well, pushing against Rin’s chest to keep him at bay. Makoto giggles and checks the six texts accompanying the picture.

 **Rinrin [20:26]:** MAKOTO  
**Rinrin [20:26]:** SOUSUKE’S BEING AN ASS  
**Rinrin [20:26]:** Hello, this is Matsuoka Rin. I think Yamazaki Sousuke is the most handsome and smartest man on the planet.  
**Rinrin [20:27]:** THAT WAS HIM, NOT ME, RIN. THE REAL RIN.  
**Rinrin [20:27]:** tell rin i’m not his fashion photographer  
**Rinrin [20:28]:** HE KEEPS STEALING MY PHONE

“ _Makoto_ ,” Haru says, holding out a pair of dark jeans. Makoto flinches in surprise, then takes them from his friend with a smile.

“Oh! Thank you, Haru. I really appreciate your help,” he says, putting his phone down on the bed. He shuffles over to the closet to change from his khakis to the dark jeans Haru had offered. While he’s in the middle of pulling up his pants -- ones he doesn’t even remember owning -- Makoto hears the click of his phone’s camera going off. He stands quickly and turns toward Haru with ears blazing, already blushing red.

“Haru!! What--” he rushes across the floor to grab the phone from his friend, but stumbles over the mountains of clothing and trips as his pants fall and tangle around his ankles. Haru turns to finish texting off the picture to Rin.

“I can’t believe you sent him that picture!” Makoto gasps, grabbing onto Haru’s shirt to shake him. “Why did you do that?”

“You looked good,” Haru answers honestly, frowning.

“My underwear was showing!!” Makoto shouts, grabbing his phone from Haru just as it dings with a message from Rin.

 **Rinrin [20:35]:** i guess Haru decided to give u some help after all lol  
**Rinrin [20:35]:** nice undies  
**me [20:36]:** please delete that embarrassing photo!  
**Rinrin [20:36]:** ok ok just cuz u asked ;)  
**me [20:37]:** please forget u ever saw that!! i’m so embarrassed. i’ll die…

Makoto sits on his bed, trying to recover from his near death-from-embarrassment experience. His pants are still bunched around his ankles. His face is red hot.

“It’s just Rin...” Haru grumbles, missing the point of Makoto’s mortification.

“That doesn’t matter, Haru! You can’t just send pictures of me in my _underwear_ to people! Yamazaki-san could have seen it!” Makoto covers his face with a groan. Rin’s friend was already cold towards him, not to mention intimidating, and if he got to see that terrible photo Makoto would have to go into hiding. He’d never be able to recover.

“Yamazaki? Who cares about him?” Haru practically snarls.

“Haru...” Makoto sighs, frustration and annoyance mounting. He was so stressed out about this weekend thing, and worried about Haru’s recent mood swings, not to mention all the preparations for college examinations… his head was a jumble of different thoughts, and it was exhausting just trying to keep them all organized. “Maybe you should go home, Haru. It’s getting late. I… I’m kinda tired.”

Haru’s shoulders tense, surprised by Makoto’s sudden request for him to leave. His eyes widen slightly as Makoto stands up to finally pull on the jeans. He shifts in front of the mirror, turning to check himself out, actually impressed with Haru’s choice for his outfit.

“You picked out something really nice,” Makoto tries to soften the mood somewhat, offering his best friend a warm smile. He’s too tired to manage it at full strength, though. “Thank you, Haru. I think I’ll wear this to the mixer tomorrow.”

After Haru leaves, Makoto trudges downstairs into the kitchen where his mother is putting together some lunches for the next week. He pulls out a bottle of tea and pours himself a glass.

“That’s a nice outfit, sweetie,” his mother says absently. Makoto looks down at himself.

“Thanks, mom,” he says with a smile. “Haru picked it out for me. I’m going to wear it to the mixer tomorrow.”

“That’s good. How late will you be out with Rin?”

“Um… I’m not sure, really,” Makoto says after a thought. His mother chuckles and turns to him, smiling indulgently.

“How about you just call us with an update?” She says. “As long as we know where you are, I don’t mind extending your curfew.”

“Really?” Makoto beams. That was one less thing to worry about weighing on his mind. He was sure they wouldn’t be out too long, but he also didn’t want to worry his parents if the mixer ran over time. He leans in, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and giggles happily. “Thanks, mom!”

“Anytime, sweetie,” she replies fondly, running her fingers through Makoto’s unruly hair. “This is your last year of high school, after all. Let’s make it a good one, okay?”

“I’ll work hard,” Makoto says seriously. His mother laughs and turns back to her lunch preparations for the twins.

“Not too hard, I hope,” she adds with a little wink in his direction. 

Makoto grins sheepishly, then leaves the kitchen to return to his room. It’s a disaster, but he’s too tired to tidy it up properly so most of his clothing simply ends up piled by the closet mirror. With a sigh, he changes into his PJs and plops onto his bed to check his phone. 

While Makoto had been saying good-bye to Haru, Rin sent another few messages and an MMS. Makoto opened the picture first. It was an actual photo of Rin’s outfit this time, taken by the redhead himself. Makoto inhales softly, breaking into an inexplicably excited smile at the sight of his friend looking so serious while posing in the mirror. He wore a pair of fashionable black jeans, a simple deep burgundy v-neck t-shirt with a black jacket thrown over top, and a pair of grey high top sneakers. A thin black cord finished off the outfit, hanging low against his chest and standing out against his lighter skin.

Makoto was a little envious of how effortless Rin looked in his clothing. Even in this quick selfie, it was clear that the Samezuka captain exuded self confidence. To Makoto, that only made Rin look five times as handsome. After studying the picture a little longer, Makoto saves it to his phone and opens up his messages to reply.

 **Rinrin [20:39]:** what do u think of this one?  
**Rinrin [20:40]:** sou says i look like a douchebag.  
**Rinrin [20:45]:** mako??  
**me [20:59]:** sorry, rin. i was saying good bye to Haru.  
**me [20:59]:** i think you that outfit really suits you!

He hesitates before adding, with the faintest hint of a blush:

 **me [21:00]:** you look very handsome :)

Hopefully Rin wouldn’t take that the wrong way. Makoto was pretty sure he wouldn’t, but for some reason he was really, really investing a lot of importance in what Rin thought recently. He didn’t want to let his friend down at the mixer. Even though he knew he was bound to mess something up, the night was really for Rin to enjoy, so Makoto would try his best to help him do that. He would be the perfect wingman.

Suddenly, Makoto’s phone jingles. He answers it with some confusion, “Rin?”

 _“Um… hey, Mako,”_ Rin answers quietly.

“Is everything okay?” Makoto asks.

_“Yeah. I’m fine. I, er, just… was calling to say good night.”_

“Oh! Okay… well, good night, Rin. Sleep well.”

_“Good night. And, um, I’m pretty pumped for tomorrow.”_

“Me, too,” Makoto laughs softly, pressing the back of his hand against his cheek, warm and flushed. “I’ll see you at the station.”

 _“Better bring your ‘A’ game, Tachibana,”_ Rin chuckles. _“See ya.”_ Makoto’s phone beeps after Rin hangs up. He grins widely for no reason at all, staring at the ceiling as excitement and anxiety war for domination over his emotions. Tomorrow night couldn’t come fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems like the lightbulb has already gone off for Nagisa. ;)
> 
> The next chapter: Caught in the Mix!


	4. Into the Mix Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin has never been one to sweat the small stuff, but the wait for date night is starting to get to him.

Rin is nervous. It takes him about half the day to realize the feeling, because it wasn’t really normal for him. Sure, there were nerves before a race. Nerves before a long flight. Those nerves were _normal_ , though. This? This was something different, and even though he wanted to, he couldn’t bring himself to discuss it with Sousuke.

Luckily, sometimes your best friend could just pick up on these things.

“Rin, what the fuck crawled up your ass today?” Sousuke asks, sitting heavily on the bottom bunk while toeing off his running shoes. Rin is bouncing from his desk to the small bureau, second guessing his decision for the outfit he’ll be wearing that night while muttering to himself. For one brief, crazy moment he picks up his phone and thinks about cancelling on Makoto and Ai. “Rin. Earth to Rin,” Sousuke tries again, growing impatient with his roommate’s agitated state.

Rin stares at his phone for a good minute, thumbs hovering over the buttons, before Sousuke gets fed up and grabs him by the back of his jersey. 

“Oi! What the hell!” the redhead shouts angrily as the taller boy yanks him back onto the bed, forcing him down and holding him there with his left arm against Rin’s chest. Rin flails angrily against Sousuke, but it’s like fighting against a brick wall. Eventually he gets tired, breathing heavily and glaring daggers at his best friend, fingers tangled in the sweaty fabric of his running jersey.

“Calm your ass down,” Sousuke replies, stony expression unwavering. “You’re jumping out of your skin today.”

“Or maybe it’s because my big _oaf_ of a roommate is trying to strangle me!” Rin shouts back, gritting his teeth as he attempts once more to break from Sousuke’s leaden grip. Sousuke watches him calmly until Rin goes limp with a groan of frustration. “Okay. Fine, I’m calm. Now get off me.”

“Promise me you’ll stop acting like a nutcase,” Sousuke says seriously. Rin grumbles, but agrees with a curt nod. After a minute, Sousuke releases him and gets up to change out of his running clothes. He opts for a pair of basketball shorts and a non-descript tank top. 

Rin remains on his back, staring at the bottom of Sousuke’s bunk while drumming his fingers against his ribs. The nervous energy coursing through his body demands he get up and do _something_ , but he can’t even bring himself to sit up now, so it just settles in his stomach like a wriggling snake of anxiety. His leg bounces of its own accord, jiggling with the pace of his thoughts.

“Are you nervous about your date night?” Sousuke asks finally, leaning his elbows on the bunk above Rin. He looks down at his normally composed friend with a mixture of concealed pity and worry.

“No!” Rin folds his arms, leg jiggling faster.

“... I beg to differ,” Sousuke replies dryly. Rin finally sits up with a groan, bent forward on his knees with his head in his hands.

“Okay, maybe a little,” he says to the floor. The knot in his belly loosens slightly after the admission, but does little to actually calm him. From above, Sousuke lets out a chuckle. “Hey! Don’t laugh. I… I’ve never really been on a date before, okay? Hey! I said don’t fucking laugh at me!!”

Sousuke laughs silently, but hard enough that his shoulders shake. Out of spite, Rin kicks him in the knee and sends the big swimmer sprawling onto the floor with a grunt. “Serves you right,” Rin grumbles, stepping over Sousuke’s prone body to grab his things and head to the showers. Sousuke’s bout of ridiculous giggles chase him all the way out of the room.

Rin bowls his way through the halls, heading to the bathrooms, and nearly runs over Nitori in the process. Ai scrambles to get out of his way, then follows after him, catching up to Rin’s brisk pace with some effort. He doesn’t noticed the aura of annoyance radiating from the redhead until it’s too late.

Ai chuckles lightheartedly, “You getting ready for the mixer already, Rin-sempai?”

“I’m just going to shower after my run, Nitori. And I don’t really need you tagging along,” Rin replies grumpily. Ai notices the scowl, and tries to placate the captain with a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t be nervous! Tonight’s going to be really fun,” the breast-stroker assures his friend. “Shingo-san’s uncle owns the restaurant, so he said that we might -- ehm -- get some free drinks if we buy lots of food.”

“My god!” Rin suddenly bursts out, scaring Ai enough to make him jump back. Rin stops just before the doors to the communal bathroom and huffs, “Why the hell is everyone on my case about this stupid thing?”

“Um...” Ai stammers in confusion, looking down at the ground after Rin’s outburst. As he speaks, his face flushes a brighter and brighter red. “S-sorry, Rin-sempai. I know you’re not really excited about going tonight. I really appreciate it, though. I, ehm, promise you can leave at any time.” Rin immediately feels guilty, though he’s still scowling at the younger swimmer.

“Tch, listen, Ai...” he mutters, trying to act nonchalant after his sudden tantrum, rubbing the back of his neck while trying to drum up the right words. Another student opens the door in front of them and walks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, eyeing Rin and Ai suspiciously while skirting around them. Rin waits until he’s a safe distance down the hall before continuing. “I’m” -- he struggles to remain sincere -- “ _glad_ you invited me. Okay? I’m sure it won’t be completely terrible.”

Looking up with teary eyes, Nitori sniffles and manages a tremulous smile for Rin’s benefit. He nods vigorously, then replies, “Yeah! It’ll be fun. Sorry to bother you...”

“Uh huh,” Rin pats Ai’s shoulder a bit awkwardly, unsure of how he was now the one to comfort his teammate. “Uh. I’m going to go shower now, Ai. I’ll see you later before we head out.”

“Oh, right. Okay! See you!” Ai chirps happily, finally leaving Rin’s side looking a bit less harried than he usually did. Rin’s awkward half-smile quickly drops, returning to an anxious scowl as he pushes into the bathroom and sets up in one of the shower stalls. 

While he’s waiting for the water to warm up, Rin bows his head, trying to visualize how the night will turn out. It was a trick his coach in Australia had him try before particularly strenuous or stressful matches. At first, Rin had railed against such a ridiculous suggestion, but after a while it became kind of zen for him. Especially in instances when he was forced to taper before a big race, which pissed him off even more than having to ‘actualize the positive.’

He steps under the spray, imagining himself getting on the train with Ai as he slides the flimsy little shower curtain shut. The enthusiastic little shit would probably babble the entire way to their stop, but in Rin’s perfect world he would sit silently. And Makoto would be there waiting at the station when they arrived.

He’d probably say something about being glad Rin was there, or thank him for inviting Makoto even though it was pretty clear neither of them wanted to attend this mixer. Ai’s presence meant Makoto would be a sweet little angel about it, though. Not that Rin expected any different, but the taller swimmer tended to keep his true feelings to himself and Ai was especially sensitive. Rin scrubs himself vigorously as the hot spray of water pelts his face and chest, visualizing Makoto in the outfit he’d texted the night before. His angry scowl slowly lightens into a smile.

Haru was a real asshole for doing that to Makoto, but he was always a little off when it came to acceptable social norms. And Makoto would kill him if he ever found out, but Rin couldn’t bring himself to delete the photo, so who was really disregarding social norms now? Of course he’d thought about it, but the opportunity for future blackmail was just too good to pass up. If Makoto actually found a girl to date? Even better. Rin grins to himself, running his hands over his shoulders, chest and thighs while letting the water rinse away the soap.

He found his nervousness melting away the more he fleshed out the night. They would all be seated together in the restaurant, probably with the boys on one side of the table with the girls occupying the other. Rin would definitely jockey for a seat on the end, making sure Makoto sat between him and the other boys. Eat, keep his cool, leave. That’s all he needs to do to survive the night, and having Makoto there as a buffer was going to help him make it through to the end.

After finishing up in the shower Rin returns to his room. Sousuke is napping on the top bunk, snoring lightly. Rin has no qualms about waking him up, but in an effort to avoid being tackled and strangled again, he keeps the noise down while dressing. While he’s primping (something he would never admit to), a soft buzz alerts him to a new text message. When Rin picks up his phone, he sees he’s missed a few messages from Makoto during his shower.

 **Tachibana Makoto [replied 15:19]:** i might be a little late to the mixer tonight  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 15:19]:** i’ll have to meet u at the restaurant.  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 15:29]:** i’m sorry, rin!!  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 15:35]:** plz don’t be mad at me (◞‸◟；)

“Fuck…” Rin hisses, sitting back down on his bed. Great, it wasn’t even twenty minutes since he’d visualized himself into a positive -- ugh, fuck it. He texts Makoto back.

 **me [15:37]:** i’m not mad.

Quickly, there’s a reply.

 **Tachibana Makoto [replied 15:37]:** u seem a little mad…..

Rin flops onto his back with a sigh.

 **me [15:37]:** i’m not mad. seriously.  
**me [15:37]:** everything ok?  
**Tachibana Makoto [replied 15:38]:** yes. i’ll explain when i see u tonite.

After Makoto’s reply, Rin snaps his phone shut and rolls onto his side. This one little bump in the road really shouldn’t affect him very much, but without Makoto there Rin was seriously going to be grumpy. Hell, he was already grumpy. He hears the springs creak in the mattress above him and rolls onto his back, bracing himself for another rousing conversation with Sousuke.

“Rin?”

“ _What._ ”

“Jeez… nevermind,” Sousuke balks at Rin’s already defensive tone.

“Tch, come on. What is it?” Rin taps the mattress above him with his toe lightly, earning an annoyed grunt from his roommate.

“Fine. Uh… Do you really think I’m scary?” Sousuke asks. Surprised by the question, Rin takes a few moments to process. After a good minute of silence, Sousuke grumbles, “Nevermind. Whatever. Forget I asked.”

“Sou--”

“I _said_ nevermind. How much time until you leave for the date thing?”

“I dunno. A couple hours maybe,” Rin answers quietly. “I think I’m going to nap til then.”

“Fine. I’m going to the conbini,” Sousuke climbs from the top bunk and grabs a light track jacket to throw over his tank. Rin turns onto his side, watching his friend’s back as Sousuke shrugs the jacket on, stretching his shoulder absently before grabbing his wallet. 

“Get me a drink while you’re out?”

“Fat chance, moocher,” Sousuke answers with a frown, counting the bills in his wallet.

“Oi! You owe me one!”

“Go to sleep, Rin,” Sousuke snorts. “And don’t sweat tonight so much.”

“Ugh, fuck off,” Rin flips Sousuke the bird after flopping back onto the mattress.

“Yeah, yeah… love you too, buddy,” his friend snorts, shutting the door behind him quietly as he leaves.

Rin scrubs his cheeks and temples with the palms of his hands, groaning softly before letting all his frustrations and annoyances out in one loud, put upon sigh. After a minute of just staring into the middle distance, Rin picks his phone up and flips it open to scroll through his images. There are a few of Sousuke sleeping in various positions -- in class, in the locker room, in the courtyard under a bush during lunchtime -- all used as incentive at one point or another. 

It was good to have Sousuke back. Even though his wise-cracking was annoying as hell, and he snored, and he was generally very stubborn and sometimes an asshole, Rin couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect as a best friend. They’d really fallen right back in line with each other. Though, at times Rin had to wonder how much Sousuke was keeping from him. How much had really changed in the years he was gone? Like his comment earlier about being seen as ‘scary’... 

Rin’s brows knit as he thinks about it. Sousuke never struck Rin as the type of person who really gave a shit about what other people thought. Though, after all this time apart, maybe Rin didn’t really know anymore. He scrolled past some photos of things he’d snapped for Gou and landed on the picture Haru had sent the night before. 

Makoto, on the other hand, liked to keep up appearances. He was so inside his head all the time, worrying about Haru, about his other friends, his family… everything, really. He kept a sunny disposition, one that even Rin had a hard time seeing through, and plodded along under the radar. He metaphorically, and quite literally, drowned himself while trying to keep others’ heads above water.

“Fucking idiot,” Rin grumbles to the picture affectionately. After a minute, he throws his phone to the side, blushing furiously when he realizes he’s staring at a picture of half-naked Makoto. With another groan, he turns to lie on his stomach and closes his eyes. This night could not be over fast enough.

\-- 00 --

He’s twelve again, standing at the edge of a field that stretches farther than his eye can see. It’s full of sunflowers, yellow heads supported by tall, strong stalks. They’re all turned toward the low-hanging afternoon sun that illuminates the field in front of Rin, who stands in the shadow cast by the flowers onto the dirt. Drawn by the warmth of the sun, Rin starts forward, pushing through the initial row of flowers. He shields his eyes from the glare of the sun with one hand, not realizing the flowers are turning away from the sun to face him as he travels until they begin to bend, creating a tunnel for him.

Sunlight barely filters through the tightly woven stalks of the flower-made tunnel. Rin squints, looking into the distance, and sees the shadow of a figure standing silhouetted at the exit. Curious, and a little worried, Rin calls out. The figure barely moves, so Rin starts running. The sounds of his breaths echo off the dark green walls of the tunnel.

“Rin!” The figure is shouting now, calling him. “Come on, Rin!” An electric spark of recognition zips up the redhead’s spine, raising all the hairs on the back of his neck and along his arms. The voice is familiar, tinged with the nostalgia of a distant, fading memory. He used to know this person. He used to know them!

“I’m coming! Wait for me!” He gasps, reaching out.

“Rinrin...”

The images bleed away as Rin starts awake, a little confused after such a vivid and strange dream. He blinks blearily when someone outside his door calls his name.

“Rin-sempai! Rin-sempai! He need to leave!”

Rin sits up suddenly, smacking the back of his head on the overhanging bed. He curses, stumbling out of bed to wrench open the door. It was that late already? Where the hell was Sousuke?

“What? What time is it?” He mumbles, greeted by Nitori’s frazzled face.

“We have fifteen minutes to get to the train! Or else we’ll have to wait another twenty minutes for the next one!” Ai says, trying not to yell but unable to keep the apparent stress of the situation from bleeding through. Rin rolls his eyes.

“Ai, that’s more than enough time to get to the damn station,” he replies, turning back into the room to grab his jacket. He pauses by the mirror. His hair is sticking up weirdly on the side, so he leans in to brush it.

“Um... Rin-sempai,” Ai tries to urge.

“Why didn’t you tell me my hair is like the bride of frankenstein right now?” Rin gripes, trying to wrangle his normally cooperative red hair into a less vertical position. In the end, he’s forced to put it into a tail at the base of his neck. 

He strolls out of his room, walking normally while Ai stays at least two or three paces ahead. In the end, he’s proven very wrong. They have to run the last bit of the way to make it onto the train, squeezing on just before the doors close. Ai sits, looking a little put off and actually staying quiet for once while texting on his phone. Feeling grumpy, Rin decides to ignore the younger boy’s pouting. He stands in front of the train doors, looking outside the window while it surges from the station on the way to the city.

Rin notices grey clouds collecting in the distance. He frowns, glancing up at the sky overhead. It looks perfectly fine _here_.

“Ai… did the forecast mention rain today?”

“Uh,” the younger boy turns to look over his shoulder. “I didn’t check.”

Rain starts pouring down halfway to their stop. Once they arrive, the pair huddle under the shelter of the station for a couple minutes to wait out the worst of it. It barely lets up and with each passing minute Ai gets more and more anxious about showing up late.

“I-I think if we run, we can make it on time,” he says through chattering teeth.

“This is bullshit,” Rin gripes, going to reach for his phone. He pats his pants pocket, and then his back pockets, and then his jacket’s. He checks them once more, then again as his heart rate speeds up. Quickly, his mind flashes back to his dorm room. To his bed, where he’d been napping, and where his phone rests right now. “Shit.”

“R-rin-sempai,” Ai says quietly, glancing over at the swim captain. “I want to go now. U-uhm… you can stay here. Maybe it’ll stop and then you can join us at the restaurant.”

“No, I’ll come with you,” Rin says, his voice flat with defeat, wishing desperately that something -- _anything_ \-- would happen to save him from the rest of this night. Like, an explosion. Or maybe the rain will turn into fish. Or frogs. Or sharks. As he’s contemplating which animal he’d like to fall from the sky to crush him, the next train rushes into the station. Ai fiddles with the sleeves of his sweater, looking up at the grey sky as people swarm around them and out of the station quickly. Most of them have black umbrellas, bobbing as they walk, but Rin spies the sudden appearance of a green froggie umbrella bouncing slightly above the rest, shielding a familiar brunette head from the rain.

“Oi! Makoto!” Rin shouts, drawing the attention of his friend. Makoto turns around, glancing every which way until his bright green eyes land on Rin and Aiichiro huddled together out of the rain.

“Rin! Nitori-kun…” Makoto smiles that sublimely sweet smile of his while approaching. Rin hears Ai make a small gasp, hidden behind his hand.

“Makoto, you have no idea how glad I am to see you,” Rin blurts with a big laugh, flashing a grin full of sharp teeth. Makoto chuckles softly at his friend’s enthusiasm, but his expression looks a little doubtful.

“I’m glad,” he says, brows meeting in worry despite the kind smile on his lips. “The weather’s pretty crummy today, isn’t it? Aren’t you cold, Nitori-kun? Where are your umbrellas?”

“Neither of us checked for rain,” Rin grumbles. “So we’ve been trying to wait it out.”

“I-I’m okay, Tachibana-kun!” Ai quickly volunteers, still unable to keep his teeth from chattering. Makoto shakes his head, handing his umbrella to Rin as he slides his jacket off. Underneath, he’s wearing the outfit Haru chose for him. The black t-shirt hugs his chest perfectly, and the dark pants are fitted well to his thighs and hips, while the rolled sleeves of his flannel reveal toned and tanned forearms.

“Th-thank you so much, Tachibana-kun!” Ai’s words of gratitude bring Rin back from his stupor. He blinks, snorting in amusement at Ai’s diminutive form enveloped in Makoto’s coat. 

“You’re welcome, Nitori-kun,” Makoto replies. “And please call me Makoto. We’re all going out for fun tonight, so no need for formalities. Right, Rin?”

“Yeah, and speaking of that, maybe we should get going?” He returns Makoto’s umbrella to him, giving the taller boy another grin. It’s returned with a shy smile. Ai, relieved to start out again, heads out of the station while Rin and Makoto follow behind him. With Makoto’s jacket on, the smaller swimmer has no problem avoiding the rain. Rin hangs back with Makoto, barely fitting under the umbrella with him. “You’ve never struck me as a big fan of frogs.”

“Oh… yeah,” Makoto laughs, blushing a little out of embarrassment. “I was in such a hurry to catch the train, I accidentally grabbed Ren’s umbrella instead of my own. Sorry, you’re getting a little wet.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rin snorts. His hood kept most of the rain off, anyway. Besides, Makoto’s broad shoulders barely fit under the sloped dome of the froggie’s head _and_ he’d offered his only coat to Ai. He’s the one they should be keeping dry. Rin reaches over, sliding one arm around Makoto’s shoulders to pull him closer under the lip of the umbrella. The taller boy stiffens momentarily, but Rin doesn’t let up his hold, so Makoto gradually relaxes.

“Let’s have a lot of fun tonight,” Rin suggests quietly, watching as Ai runs up to the door of the restaurant. They’re only a couple minutes late, thankfully. Before they head inside, Makoto nods and lets out a soft sigh.

“Okay,” he replies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 'Conbini' is slang for a convenience store in Japan (like 7-11). I liked the sound of it, so I decided to use it.
> 
> So sorry for the slow pacing! For some reason, I felt the need to break the mixer into two (possibly three) chapters!  
> Please stay patient, and thank you for reading! (╥╯﹏╰╥)ง
> 
> Also, please message me at [greeneyes-softsighs @ tumblr](http://greeneyes-softsighs.tumblr.com) if you are interested in beta-ing any future chapters. It would be a greatly appreciated gesture!


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